Robotic Partial Knee Replacement
Partial Knee Replacement: Conditions and Symptoms
If you are researching different options for knee replacement surgeries, then you are probably suffering from osteoarthritis (also known as degenerative arthritis). About 42 million Americans, especially adults age 65 and older, have some form of osteoarthritis. The most common form of arthritis, it causes the following symptoms:
- Pain
- Swelling
- Reduced or restricted motion in the joints
It can occur in any joint, but it usually affects the hands, knees, hips or spine.
What are Symptoms of Arthritis in the Knee?
- Pain while standing or walking short distances, climbing up or down stairs, or getting in and out of chair
- Pain with activity
- Start up pain or stiffness when activities are initiated from a sitting position
- Joint stiffness after getting out of bed
- Swelling in one or more areas of the knee
- A grating sensation or crunching feeling in the knee during walking, exercise or motion
Diagnosis of Knee Arthritis
If you are suffering from any of the above symptoms, you should see a knee specialist. Your doctor will:
- Review your medical history and symptoms
- Perform a clinical examination, including:
- Watch you walk
- Observe you get up from a chair
- Test your reflexes
- Examine your joint alignment (how your joints line up)
- Test ligament stability in the affected knee
- Order X-rays to determine how much bone or joint damage there is from the osteoarthritis
Sometimes, our surgeons will order additional imaging tests, including CT or MRI to determine the extent of the damage caused by arthritis.
Treatment Plan
Most patients who come to see us for a consultation want to leave with a plan of action. Depending on the information your knee specialist can gather from your clinical exam, as well as your imaging studies, he or she will try to provide you a treatment plan that day. It may include physical therapy, medications to reduce swelling and control the pain of arthritis, and rest.
However, some patients are good candidates for knee surgery, including a partial knee resurfacing using the MAKOplasty® system.
Am I a good candidate for robotic-assisted partial knee replacement?
You are probably a good candidate for MAKOplasty® if you are an adult with early to mid-stage arthritis in no more than 2 of the following compartments of the knee:
- Medial (inner)
- Patellofemoral (top)
- Lateral (outer)
Your ACL must be intact and you must have relatively good alignment of your joints.
If your arthritis has progressed to all 3 compartments in your knee, you are probably an excellent candidate for a total knee replacement. However, if your arthritis is limited to no more than 2 compartments of your knee, you should learn more About MAKOplasty® Partial Knee Resurfacing.
Patients Who Travel
If you are coming from far away to take advantage of this innovative, unique approach to partial knee replacements, we can arrange to have your imaging studies performed before you come. That way our knee specialists will be fully prepared to make a treatment recommendation for you at the end of your consultation.
